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Name:
Hospitallers
Knights of St. John
Profile:
The Hospitallers was an military organization of crusading monks which was originally
begun in the 11th century as the Order of St. John, a monastic order devoted to the
care of sick pilgrims in Jerusalem. Over time the purpose of the order came to include
combat in the defense of their hospitals, of pilgrims, and later of Crusader states
generally. With the Knights Templar, the Hospitallers constituted the primary defensive
forces of the Crusader states in the Middle East.
In 1113 the Hospitallers received official papal recognition as a separate and independent monastic order. When the Crusaders states were eliminated once and for all in the fall of Acre in 1291, the Hospitallers transformed themselves into a naval force based in Rhodes. From there they fought pirates and other threats throughout the Mediterranean. The Hospitallers continue to exist today, although their concern has reverted back to the administration of hospitals and the care of the sick.
Also Known As: none
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
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